He is one of Israel’s most recognisable public defenders but apparently Eylon Levy has detractors even within the government.
According to reports, Sara Netanyahu, the wife of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu tried to have Eylon Levy, the high-profile government spokesperson removed from his role due to his former life as organiser of protests Israeli judicial reform.
Before he became a household name during the latest conflict Levy was a vocal participant in the 2023 protests the judicial reform.
Israeli channel N12 claimed Mrs Netanyahu tried to have him removed from post due to his former activities.
However when asked The Public Diplomacy Department said the claim was incorrect.
A spokesperson told reporters: “The report is incorrect. The Public Diplomacy Department operates in a professional manner.”
Levy, 32, grew up in Finchley and attended University College School before studying at Cambridge and Oxford, where he was a campus reporter for the JC.
Before working for the government, he worked as an international media advisor to President Isaac Herzog.
On the day of the October 7 massacre, Levy was not employed by the government.
In an interview with the JC he said: “As the massacre unfolded, Israeli society did something extraordinary. Everyone dropped everything to help the war effort. People who had nothing more than a car volunteered to drive food down to soldiers, or cook for displaced families, and what I knew how to do is to give interviews and to speak for Israel, so that’s what I did.”
He was invited to the Prime Minister’s Office as part of the country’s Israel advocacy efforts and was asked to speak in an official capacity.
He started to get international attention after his interviews with UK broadcasters such as Sky News presenter Kay Burley began getting viral attention.
Before his high-profile role in the government, he was an outspoken critic, attending weekly protests in Tel Aviv against the government’s plans for judicial reform.
In an interview with The Jerusalem Post in December, Levy defended his current position defending Israel on a world stage.
He said: “I don’t think that personal, private, or political opinions about issues that aren’t even on the agenda at the moment are relevant.
“On October 7, we experienced the deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. And in an incredible moment in Jewish history, after a year in which we were at each other’s throats, Israeli society as a whole rose to the challenge. And we dropped our Jewish wars. We put them to the side. And as they say in Hebrew, I came under the stretcher to support the war effort.”
You can listen to the latest episode of the JC podcast with Eylon here
